The Final Cut
The Final Cut is an American stop motion war film based on the Pink Floyd album of the same name. The film is written and directed by Jackson Kelley and is the eighth film in the Concept Album Cinematic Universe. The film stars Jackson Kelley, Nick Stone, Payton Frisch, and Cameron Geoffrion. The film follows an interview between Pink (from The Wall) and his teacher, who was a war veteran. Cast *Jackson Kelley as John Barrett, a former war veteran who became a teacher **Kelley also plays Pink, reprising his role from The Wall. *Nick Stone as Older John Barrett, the subject of the interview. *Payton Frisch as General Paul White, the army general **Frisch also plays Pink's father, reprising his role from The Wall. *Cameron Geoffrion as Bradshaw, John's best friend in the air squad. Plot The film opens with several clips of the Second World War (The Post War Dream) before cutting to the front of a house. Pink, the protagonist from The Wall, is now a reporter, and he is surprised to find out he is interviewing his old teacher, John Barrett. They go in the house, and Pink starts off with the question, "How did you enlist in the war?" The teacher puts on some music, and a flashback begins. John Barrett was a good natured student who got straight A's, but he was bullied. After graduating, he decided to get tougher by enlisting in the U.S. Army under General Paul White. On the bus, Barrett meets and befriends Bradshaw, an aspiring pilot. The two are bunked together, and are put through training (Your Possible Pasts). Barrett and Bradshaw become good friends and fight all battles in the air. After an air battle, Bradshaw is killed in action, leaving Barrett to resign and leave for college to pursue teaching, however, when he returns home, he cannot get a grasp on life (One of the Few). Over time, he graduates college, gets married, and becomes a teacher at Roger Waters High School. All is not well, because Barrett is haunted by memories of the war (When The Tigers Broke Free). Back at the house, Pink is also haunted by memories of his late father. Pink asks about a certain air battle where Bradshaw was killed. Barrett reluctantly tells him. Barrett and Bradshaw were chosen to fight in the high ground, with Bradshaw as the pilot, and Barrett as the tailgunner. The battle is successful so far, but Bradshaw, not looking where he was going, crashed into another plane, causing the two to fall. While they fall, Barrett dreams of a safer world without war (The Gunner's Dream). Barrett is able to deploy his parachute, but Bradshaw gets shot before he is able to. Back in his teaching career, Barrett divorces his wife, and struggles to live in an ordinary society (Paranoid Eyes). Pink asks about the leadership back then, and Barrett reveals Franklin Delano Roosevelt supported the war, but he was trying too hard to make peace (Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert). Bradshaw's funeral is shortly thereafter, where several world leaders like Margaret Thatcher and Leonid Brehsnev, among others, are there (The Fletcher Memorial Home). Pink asks Barrett to describe the Falklands War. Barrett had made a promise not to return to war, but he takes a leave from teaching and fights in the Falklands War (Southampton Dock). After leaving the Army for good, he locks himself up in his house, ditching the students, and building his own wall. Pink is surprised to hear this, and Barrett tells him they were a lot alike. Back in the past, Barrett almost kills himself, going mad. He decides not to, but keeps his wall, gaining his hard personality. (The Final Cut). There is then a montage of post war America, Europe, and Japan (Not Now John). In present day, Barrett thanks Pink for the interview and asks to see another one of his poems. Pink pulls out a poem, and Barrett admit he likes it, and he hated his poems in school because he was forced to do it. Pink walks out of the house, but not before giving Barrett a hug and thanking him for being his teacher. Pink drives into the sunset, reflecting on the story Barrett told him (Two Suns in the Sunset). In a post credits scene, Barrett dies, and at his funeral, a younger Jason Wright, one of Pink's classmates and one of the main characters in Ed Hunter, makes a speech. Reception To the surprise of many, The Final Cut became the highest rated film for the Concept Album Cinematic Universe. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a fresh score of 99% with the critics consensus saying "The Final Cut represents the finest achievement made by Jackson Kelley and his crew, with a very heartfelt story and complex characters, with the music of Pink Floyd to support it." Director Jackson Kelley said he knew the film would get positive reviews because he said "The critics are suckers for war movies. Might as well throw my hat into the ring."